"8,000 People for One Voice: Free Movement Marathon Runs for Palestine" by Palestinian News Network

         On March 23rd, 2019, the Palestinian News Network (PNN) published an article about the Free Movement Marathon that takes place in Bethlehem City located in the West Bank. This year marks the seventh anniversary of the marathon, and individuals from around the world have joined the movement alongside Palestinian civilians. The article states an increasing amount of international interest among the Palestinian cause that calls for freedom against Israeli occupancy. The West Bank has been occupied under Israeli control since the War of 1967. Palestinian people desire independence of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to create a future state of Palestine. The marathon was established by the Palestine Olympic Committee (POC), an organization that highlights freedom of movement for Palestinians against Israeli occupancy. The Free Movement Marathon (also referred to as thePalestine Marathon) gathers Palestinians and outsiders from around the world to join in the efforts of peaceful protest against Israel by moving freely in Palestinian territory. It begins at the main square in Bethlehem and guides the runners through the Aida Refugee Camp and al-Khader village. Bethlehem, a holy site, attracts tourism for its historical connections to Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. The Marathon designedly proceeds alongside the refugee camp and the West Bank Barrier (or separation wall) to demonstrate the Palestinian perspective of living in an occupied territory surrounded by barriers.

Israeli West Bank Barrier (Separation Wall)

The article explains one instance of Palestinian members of the Aida Refugee Camp joining the marathon near an Israeli watchtower. They were accompanied by international volunteers for a peaceful non-aggressive protest by entering the marathon away from the starting point. Palestinians are able to share their struggles with the world, and they will continue to fight for Palestinian independence of the West Bank and constrained Gaza strip. About 600 participants of the 8,000 total were European Union (EU) members that joined the marathon movement to show their support for Palestine under the theme “EU4Palestine.” The participation of members from outside countries signifies the international recognition and participation of the basic human rights that Palestinians are fighting for today. The article quotes EU Representative in Jerusalem, RalphTarraf , who believes the Palestine Marathon is a platform for Palestinians to share their message of fighting for freedom to the world. 

Participants of the Palestine Marathon with Medals

        There is no author attributed to the news article, however the viewpoint of the author is in favor of Palestinian rights and simultaneously against the “illegal occupation” of Palestinian territories. The emotional ties to nationalism and fighting for freedom are key components of the article and clear reflections of the subjective opinion of the writer. The repetition of "basic human rights" of movement and freedom are abundant and thematic undertones as the purpose of the media story.  The title given for the article states the non-profit organization, OneVoice, but fails to discuss its connection to the Palestine Marathon throughout the article. OneVoice is a grassroots organization, mainly in the U.S. and Britain, to initiate negotiations of reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.

OneVoice (Grassroots Org. for Israel/Palestine Conflict) Logo

The author describes the international participants “freely” moving outside designated tourist areas and “breaking into” candid Palestine alongside the separation wall and refugee camp. The author articulates the attention-grabbing conditions of Palestinian lives under Israeli occupancy through the images of the structures that exist. The author uses pejorative language when describing Israeli occupation, because the article never refers to ‘the state of Israel’ as an involved figure in the marathon despite mentioning OneVoice which is a conflict resolution grassroots project. Instead Israeli occupation is referred to as “illegal” and a “struggle” for Palestinians in their fight for self-determination. The article quotes EU Representative, Ralph Tarraf, twice with the same quote at the beginning and end of the article. Ralph Tarraf is a representative of the EU in Jerusalem that frequently writes about the Palestinian rights to freedom, and in using his quote conveys speculative affirmation of European Union support. An array of photographs taken at the marathon are displayed throughout the article. Aside from photos of women and children, one interesting photo on the last page of the article is a young boy holding a sign that reads “EuroVision:Art Washing Apartheid” and “BDS” which are forms of boycotting and protest of Israel. The article ends with a positive point of view for Palestine pursuing the marathon as a basic human right to freedom, yet the last photo portrays the struggle of protest against Israel among civilians who continually fight for an independent state of Palestine.

Ralph Tarraf, EU Representative in Jerusalem

"US Consulate Merges with Embassy in Jerusalem" by Ma'an News Agency

       On Monday, March 4^th, 2019, the news agency called Ma’an reported on the United States consulate merging with the embassyin Jerusalem. The consulate was first established in the old city (East Jerusalem) in 1844 under the Ottoman Empire for communicative relations between Jerusalem, West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. It was created for the local communities to inquire and have access to government affairs and processes.  Over the years, the consulate has served predominantly Palestinians in Jerusalem, however it was open to all citizens that lived in Jerusalem. Palestinians will now be under the supervision of US Ambassador, David Friedman (selected by President Trump) who allegedly favors illegal settlement expansion. This places the Palestinians at a disadvantage for future diplomatic missions within the new consulate and embassy. 

City of Jerusalem

       The article quotes US Deputy State Department spokesperson, Robert Palladino, insisting that the merge will not stop any diplomatic or consular performance. Palladino also explains that the merge is meant to increase the effectiveness and quality of operations handled by the consulate alongside the embassy. Future communication between Palestinians with the consulate are now being directed by the Palestinian Affairs Unit located at Agron Road. The Palestinians feel inadequately represented in diplomatic affairs due to the merging of the two political entities which subsequently favors Israeli politics. Israel has longed for Jerusalem to be recognized as its capital, and with the movement of the embassy and now the merging of the consulate, they seem to be closer to their goal. On the other hand, Palestinians desperately have hoped for Jerusalem to be there capital once they obtain an independent state of Palestine. The merging reduces the ability for the Palestinians ambitious plans to have East Jerusalem as their capital.

The article includes the point of view from PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) Executive Committee Member, Hanan Ashrawi on behalf of the merge. She believes that this is “an act of political assault on the Palestinian rights and identity” since the historical foundation of the consulate served mostly Palestinian peoples living in Jerusalem for many centuries (Ma’an). Her subjective opinion portrays a discontent with US political authority and administration and stresses the point that the Trump administration does not care for Palestinian lives. Ashrawi is correct to claim the consulate aided Palestinians for many years (since 1844 – but not centuries), however her quote is based on hearsay evidence and not actual fact.

There is no author attributed, but the language of the article is speculative towards the act of the merging between the US consulate and embassy in Jerusalem. The reporter or journalist for this article uses reliable information, however they do not emphasize accurate statistics regarding the International consensus for the status of Jerusalem. According to the article, the International Consensus has implied its positionality for a peaceful resolution on behalf of Jerusalem’s status to be the capital for either side without political party prejudices. This is an objective statement by the reporter, because it is not in favor of one side over the other. It is not clear which countries have made their opinion public and if it was accounted for within the consensus. It also does not mention if the consensus may have been from a vote in the UN General Assembly. The tone of the article highlights the setbacks for Palestinians more so than the gratitude of the Israelis.

In news agency named Arutz Sheva has a notably different perspective about the US consulate merging with the embassy in Jerusalem. The article, “US to close east Jerusalem consulate,merge it with embassy” was written by a staff member with favorable language towards Israel and the merge. Arutz Sheva is a right-wing news agency, and right-wingpolitics in Israel tends to favors settlement expansion, and believes that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be resolved by negotiations. The article has a predictive subject matter when it quotes US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo as claiming the merge as a step towards a peaceful future for a collaborative work space between Palestinians and Israelis in the consulate and embassy. He is a more credible source to quote, and this article paints a much different perspective about the action of a merge in Jerusalem.